Cook scored five points from as many rides to help Great Britain finish as runners-up to Poland at the National Speedway Stadium in Manchester – his home Elite League track.

His finest contribution came in heat 16 when he powered to victory to help a late GB charge as they climbed from last to second in the standings.

Cook said: “It was fantastic to be a part of such a great meeting and hopefully our performance can do a lot for speedway.

“There is no better feeling than winning a race in a World Cup Final in a Great Britain racesuit.

“A few people wrote us off before the meeting and that gave us an extra bit of motivation.

“We all dug deep and gave our all, and it was a learning curve for us as well.

“To finish second despite making a few mistakes and missing out on points we should have had is a great effort.

“We now have to build on this and next year we’ll definitely be going for gold.”

Poland roared to victory on 39 points with Great Britain seven points adrift in second on 32. Sweden, the 2015 winners, had to settle for bronze on 30 points while a weakened Australia side brought up the rear on 22.

Two-time world champion Tai Woffinden inspired the GB effort with a 19-point haul boosted by a successful double-points ‘joker’ ride which pulled them back into contention.

Huntingdon-based British champion Danny King also scored five points while fellow former Panthers rider, Robert Lambert, managed three.

Cook has no time to celebrate his medal success as he’s back in Premier League action for Panthers tonight (July 31).